Difference between words

Is there a difference between 'to expect' and 'to anticipate'?

There is, although I'm not entirely sure how to explain it without using the words themselves. Hang on a sec...

*runs for dictionary*

Here we are - expect and anticipate. However, these may be wrong as they're taken from an American site, and Americans have a tendency for twisting the language even more than the English do. No offence to all the Americans here, but it's true.

Ummm.... I think I may know the difference, but know that I'm not using a dictionnary or anything, just my own logic.

To Expect is to have knowledge of something that will happen. You believe that it will happen. That something should happen.
For example: "I expected my daughter to be home by ten."

To Anticipate is the same basic idea... you know of something that will come to pass but you are excited about it. Know what I mean?
For example: "I anticipated the arrival of Uncle Eddy."

The reader assumes that Uncle Eddy must be someone that the speaker holds with high importance. But if used thusly:
"I expected the arrival of Uncle Eddy."
The reader only gets the idea that Uncle Eddy will be arriving (according to the belief of the speaker) not the speaker's impression of him.

Here's another example. Say the end of the world happens in three days, well, you would probably use:
"I expect death with the coming of the Apocolypse."
instead of:
"I anticipate death with the coming of the Apocolypse."
Unless you are an evil person or something hehe.

Do I make sense? I may be wrong, though, but I always assumed and learned it was this way.

That sounds about right! If you don't trust Topo_Gego, I'll back him up with what he said...

The elements of style has a bit about this:

"Use expect in the sense of simple expectation.

ex. My Brother anticipated the upturn in the market
My Brother expected the upturn in the market

In this example, the word anticipated is ambiguous. It could mean simply that he believed that the stock upturn would occur, or it could mean that he acted in advance of the expected upturn -- by buying stock, perhaps."

Originally Posted by Lakster

That sounds about right! If you don't trust Topo_Gego, I'll back him up with what he said...

*Ahem* I think you mean back her up.

Thanks for the help!!

I know you already knew the difference between the two terms, but I do believe that:

expecting = knowing that something's going to happen.
anticipating = hoping or guessing that something's going to happen.

It's like, you are expecting someone to come to your house (knowing that something's going to happen); and you are anticipating that his next move on the chess board is going to be that move (hoping or guessing that something's going to happen).